The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Page 87 RYERSON RETURNS TO SERVICE by ROD BURDICK A cold, rainy, foggy April 5, 1997, was brightened by the final fit-out and departure of Inland Steel's classic steamer, EdwardL. Ryerson from Sturgeon Bay shipyards. She had been idle at the yard since January of 1994, a victim of changes in Great Lakes shipping. Self-unloaders now dominate taconite trades, and the Ryerson is without an unloading boom. The scene on the lakes was much different in 1960 when the Ryerson entered service after construction in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. At 730 feet, the Ryerson was one of the largest vessels on the lakes. She was and continues to be the most streamlined and unique vessel on the lakes with graceful curves at the bow and stem. Ryerson set cargo records for iron-ore in the 1960's with shipments over 25,000 tons. She continued to be a top carrier until the first one thousand-foot vessels entered service in the 1970's. Then, the Ryerson's capacity was less than half of a supercamer, which exceeded 60,000 tons. Along with vessel changes, iron-ore was being processed and shipped in pelletized form known as taconite. Self-unloaders could handle taconite much easier than natural ores, and they began to carry increasing tonnages in the 1970's and more into the 1980's. During the 1980's, Great Lakes fleets converted many straight-deckers into self-unloaders, but Edward L. Ryerson remained a bulker. Ryerson was active in the 1980's, except for the 1986 and 1987 EDWARD L. RYERSON loading at Escanaba on her first trip of the 1997 season. Author's Photo